Systems are known to protect people and assets within secured areas. Such systems are typically based upon the use of one more sensors that detect threats within the secured area.
Threats to people and assets may originate from any of a number of different sources. For example, a fire may kill or injure occupants who have become trapped by a fire in a home. Similarly, carbon monoxide from a fire may kill people in their sleep. Alternatively, an unauthorized intruder, such as a burglar, may present a threat to assets and/or people within a secured area.
In the case of intruders, sensors may be placed and used in different areas based upon the different uses of the secured space. For example, if the space is normally occupied by people, then sensors may only be placed along a periphery of the secured area. If the space is normally vacant then sensors may be distributed throughout the area. Fire sensors are normally placed throughout the space.
In most cases, threat detectors are connected to a local control panel. In the event of a threat detected via one of the sensors, the control panel may sound a local audible alarm. The control panel may also send a signal to a central monitoring station.
In addition to a local alarm, it may be necessary to notify and guide occupants out of the secured space in the event of an emergency. In this case, a public address or announcement system may be incorporated into or used in conjunction with the security system to automatically notify occupants of threats.
While security and fire systems work well, they are sometimes expensive to set up and use, especially when the system covers a large area and large numbers of sensors and audio warning devices are necessary. Accordingly, a need exists for better methods of expediting such processes.